Veep Stakes

I'd rather have a veep steak.  There is much speculation about Mitt Romney's Vice-Presidential pick.  Truth is, there probably are no more than three or four people who really know which prospective candidate is on top and who isn't. But that doesn't stop us from yacking about it. 

I've been interviewed three times now in the past few weeks (see here, for example) about whether John Thune will be Romney's pick.  Short answer: no.  Longer answer is that while Thune passes the old facial validity test, in what will be a close election I don't think he brings enough electorally to the table to reach the top teir of Romney's list.

People talk about Rob Portman, but I think his linkage to the Bush Administration makes him a dangerous pick.  Also there is much speculation about Tim Pawlenty.  While I think Romney can do better, Pawlenty is a good campaigner who maybe can help in the crucial midwest. 

Those are some boring white guy picks.  Unfortunately for Romney, the non-white, non-guys in the REpublican party who might fit the bill are not ready from prime time.  Marco Rubio, Kelly Ayotte, Brain Sandoval and Susana Martinez may all be future stars of the party, but they were all elected in 2010.  It's going to be hard (but not impossible) to argue that they are ready to be president. 

This is why I think Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is a perfect choice.  Let's be honest, his dark skin helps.  Mitt Romney is the kind of guy who just stepped out of a Stuff White People Like gag.  A little unconventionality helps.  Also, no one doubts Jindal's competence.  Look at his bio.  This is a guy who the best universities in the world were recruiting at a young age.  He has executive and legislative experience.  He has deep knowledge of health care.  The one knock on him is that he flubbed the Republican SOTU response a few years ago.  That should not be an insurmountable mistake. While Jindal does not come from a competative state, I think he will cause people to look at Romney a second time.  It is true that no one votes for the VP.  That's why the first rule of VP picks is do no harm.  Second, you hope that a VP will at least cause some people to take a second look at your candidacy.  I think Jindal can do that while bringing policy credentials to the mix. 

This all makes me think that the one bad thing about an Obama loss in November is that we won't have Joe Biden around anymore.  That guy is the best sit-com on TV since Seinfeld. 

What does this crew think? If you were to pick for Romney (and Democrats, try to be serious) who do you think would help most?

Posted by JDS

Comments

[Chas Holman]

I am just a bit older than Mitt, and was born and raised LDS (Mormon).

Like me, Mitt is old school.. unlike me, Mitt takes this stuff very seriously.

When Mitt and I were kids (Ironically I was born in Detroit, my parents went to the same Church (but not ward) and my mother used to watch some of the Romney klan in our home), we were taught that not only were people of color sinners in a past life, and had ZERO chance of getting to the Celestial Kingdom unless they came back in the next life less sin free and white, but that women were subservient to men.

To this day there is NOT one person in power in the LDS church that is a woman.. NOT ONE.

We were taught that there will be a great Mormon leader in the presidency days preceding the second coming, this will be the sign it is happening.

There is NO WAY Mitt is going to have a minority or a woman a heartbeat away from leadership under his watch..

BEST BET IN VEGAS..

[Bill Fleming]

I'd like to see it be Bobby Jindal, Holman's intuitions above notwithstanding.

Jindal's not afraid to jump in and mix it up, and I think the debates between him and Biden would be spectacular. Best thing on TV (politically speaking.)

Far more emotionally engaging than the Mitt/Barack matches will be, I think.

Because, for the most part, Obama and Romney pretty much agree on everything ...if Obama can just get Romney to admit it.... anyway that's pretty much how those debates will go, no doubt.... with Jindal doing a better job at telling us what Mitt thinks than Romney himself will ;^)

[larry kurtz]

If Thune isn't picked his integrity immediately comes into question. He is a fundamentalist Protestant: the missing hammer of credibility in Willard Romney's tool box.

Pawlenty's early withdrawal reeks of cowardice and campaigning for the presumptive nominee likely settles post-election bills.

You guys are scrod, Prof. Schaff.

[Joe Johnson]

It'll be Gov. Dave Heineman of NE. You heard it here first.

[Donald Pay]

Thune has a C Street problem. His close affiliation with this cult will disqualify him.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/13/100913fa_fact_boyer

[Jon S.]

Donald seems preturnaturally incapable of doing anything without anger. Read the article he links to. This "cult" is a bipartisan nondemoninational prayer fellowship that has done great good and has had at least a couple members who were jerks. That's about it. Here's the challenge Donald. See if, like Bill, you can recommend a VP candidate for Romney without spewing anger. Who would help Romney the most?

[LK]

I'll disagree with Bill a bit. I remember Jindal giving a Republican response to an Obama STOTU speech. He was, to phrase it kindly, atrocious.

Romney needs Ohio. Portman is his best bet. If he wants to surprise, Mitch Daniels might get him some momentum. I would guess that Daniels would run well in the rust belt including Ohio.

[Jon S.]

Mitch Daniels has agreed to be the next presidnet of Purdue. He is out of the running.

[larry kurtz]

Deeply troubled, wimpy, white, widely unpopular Mormon, Willard Romney, is losing support to former NM Gov. Gary Johnson who is poised to take even more voters in western states and New Hampshire.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77754.html

http://www.politico.com/blogs/charlie-mahtesian/2012/07/gary-johnsons-magic-number-128249.html

[larry kurtz]

Hey, Prof. Schaff: you made the paper for some reason confounding this interested party. Why not post something about MILF, Kristi Noem?

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20120708/NEWS/307080019/Who-s-running-House-anyway-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

[duggersd]

From what I have seen of Bobby Jindal, I like him (except for his response to the SOU speech one year). I really do not see Thune meeting the test of being ready to be President. Tim Pawlenty looks like that guy who played the college president in Disney movies. I am not sure he would be taken seriously. Like you, I agree that the rising stars are too new and not ready. I also like Condi, but she keeps saying she is not interested. However if it was offered, I wonder if she would say no? Mr. Holman, I am not sure I believe Mitt would turn down a woman or a person of color. It may be true that the Mormon church does not have any women in power, but I can count on less than one hand the number of women priests in the Catholic church. Yet Catholic women achieve power.

[Mike Cooper]

1. Jindahl would be great, I agree with you about Portman (hopefully Mitt agrees as well) and Pawlenty make me want to throw up. No cojones, and he will not bring Minnesota into the fold.

2. Paul Ryan would be an excellent choice. Love his budget or hate it, he would force an adult conversation about medicaid and other entitlements. He would also strengthen the Republicans in Wisconsin. However, he is probably more valuable where he is.

3. I like Kelly Ayotte. Strong conservative, articulate, female, and would probably nail down New Hampshire. There is inexperience, but that is a hard argument for Obama to make. And listening to her, the American public will decide she is presidential. No one will vote against Romney because of her who wasn't going to vote against him anyway, and she brings much more to the table than anyone else.